Sweet Retreat

Long line was an indication of the goodness to come. We weren't disappointed! Friendly staff in spite of the line leading to the door... just taking care of one customer at a time. The quality of the ice cream was very good. My only challenge was the lower scoop melted faster than I could eat it...probably my fault. We've been here before and for those special occasions when we're in the neighborhood we'll likely return. By the way, the photo is a Small (2 scoops). Yowza!

June 21 7:30 pm. I had maybe 6 people in front of me. The line didn’t move the first 10 minutes. There were 3 female employees and none of them worked real fast. Finally I give my order for four ice creams. The worker writes them down and then proceeds to do something else. She is asked by one of the other employees to help her with yogurt machine. There was one with an attitude with her hoody on and ear buds hanging out of her ears. I finally got out of there 45 minutes later. Time to clean house and get some people that know something about customer service. A long time customer

The plain tart frozen yogurt mixed with the frozen fruit is the BEST, but I tried contacting the Company for the nutritional info for the yogurt and could not connect. The ingredient list is available in the store but not nutritional info. Please will the Owner or Manager contact me to provide the nutritional information, It will be greatly appreciated. Lastly, they seem to be very popular on Sundays so be prepared to wait in line.

It was decent, but I've had better ice cream in the Bay Area. I had the blackberry marble single scoop, which wasn't as big as others mention. For $6, I'd rather get a pint or two at TJ's. Not sure why this place is so popular.

Although this place is a really good ice cream place, the fact that the new hours end at 8pm is sad! I showed up at 8:10 for the depressing news. This will hurt business. People get ice cream cravings at night. I ended up st Safeway and i couldn’t believe how busy the ice cream aisle was. Hope this place makes a smarter business decision. We came here some other random night and they were closed. My boyfriend is giving up on this place since the last 3 times we came here they seemed closed for no reason.

Perfect for summer and perfect name as they gave as sweet retreat. I am in love with this place . I ordered mango flavor and coconut pineapple which was awesome and my husband ordered strawberry yogurt which was also great. Nice people at work ..

The mini cup size is anything but mini! Mango is my favorite flavor, it has real chunks of mango in it. If you can't decide what to have, ask for samples 😊 Love this place. Always worth the wait!

I overheard a worker w a septum piercing talking very loudly that the yogurt had mold in it. The store smelled like weed too.

LOVEE the yogurt here! I love how I can choose the mix-in ingredients and they will blend it up for you! I usually only get Strawberries and Banana blended in plain yogurt. The yogurt is thick so don't worry if it'll be too liquid. This mix is usually on the more tart side, not too sweet! When I choose to mix in fruits, it usually has a slight texture which adds to the mouthfeel. Sweet retreat is located in a plaza so there is plaza parking. There is limited seating, there's no indoor seating, but there is a bench outside. I've noticed during the summer / warmer nights they would have tables outside.

They weren't busy tonight. And we were wish washy on what we wanted. Good thing there wasn't anyone else there. Sometimes there is a long line. They were super patient and helpful and offered samples. Thank you for helping us tonight! The yogurt and almonds were yummy. Yogurt lets me feel less guilty. Husband likes his sundaes with pineapple and lots of nuts. Very generous sizes. Daughter always gets her favorite blackberry in a waffle cone. You can bring home containers too. Not much seating. There is a bench outside. We eat in the car or take it to go.

OMG. This was the hugest portion of frozen yogurt that I've had that was called a "mini." Besides the quantity, the consistency and flavor were perfect. Sweet Retreat managed to balance the milky and tangy flavors perfectly. The service was fine. One downside is that they don't have any indoor seating.

Although the ice cream and service are always good, the establishment kinda sucks. It's been a hit or miss anytime I come here. The last few times I can say are one time they were randomly closed, another time they changed their hours and closed at 8pm, this last time their wifi was down taking cash only making it an inconvenience of course. My boyfriend leaves pist every time with no dessert. Highly doubt he will want to come back after 4 bad experiences.

Such a solid spot for your sweet cravings! Been coming here for years and nothing has changed ( in a good way ) ! There is always a variety of flavors to choose from and their frozen yogurt is just as good as their ice cream. We stopped by at a pretty busy time but service was fast and efficient. The reason I love sweet retreat is how you really get your moneys worth with how much you get. Portion size is huge even for a small!

Service was excellent friendly and prompt. Ice cream creamy and they have plenty of selections. Definitely recommend.

I started working here when I was 15 years old, at the original location (Cahalan ave.) As former employee and current customer of 20 years, the quality has never changed. My go-to is always the Twix yogurt. It has the same great taste. I am a amazed that so many years later, the quality and consistency of the ice cream remains in tact. Even under new ownership. Don't forget to try the rainbow sherbet or the mint Oreo Cookie. Keep up the great work, best OG ice cream in San Jose.

It's a Cold Stone. If you haven't been under a rock for 20 years, then you know the drill. Order one of their mixes,,or create your own and a live person mixes it for you on the namesake Cold Stone. Tipping is encouraged though I don't think theyvmake them sing anymore

I am usually near Sweet Retreat every few months when I go to Oakridge mall area and hit up Target or Thai Gratta. Their ice cream is ok. I will say this round I was disappointed the rocky road I ordered had one almond in it and maybe 2 marshmallows. I thought I had received a chocolate scoop but knew I didn't because of the 2 marshmallows. You can see from the photo there is not much going on. Same situation with the mint chip-- 3 chips in there and the rest was just mint ice cream. The ice cream is more like a 2/5 but the service is so great and the girls working are really nice and quick making this place a 3/5.

For anyone who has had a bad experience, I am sorry but this is the best place to get ice cream in the south San Jose/ Alameda area. My family has been coming here for years. Our favorite is the raspberry yogurt. The service is amazing, the employees care and it is noticeable. it was fairly busy on this occasion but the line kept moving. Overall good experience, and can't wait to come back to get more yogurt! :)

This spot is good for classic ice cream flavors at an affordable price (and generous portions)! I went with a single size in a cup, which includes two flavors. I chose mint chip and marble black raspberry. It ended up feeling like almost 4 scoops in my cup! My friend got a mini size in a cone, but it was also two scoops of one flavor. Super generous portions and the ice cream was delicious so I can't complain! Would definitely come back!

April 21 2024 With six people in line I would expect the employees to work a little faster and not telling secrets and laughing, it almost seemed like they wanted people to leave so they wouldn't have to serve them? Very poor service, this business was much better at its prior location.

I rue the day I tasted my friend's strawberry and M&M frozen yogurt! Once I tried it, i couldn't stop myself from going once a week (sometimes twice but don't tell anyone) and getting not only the strawberry + M&M yogurt but also the banana + Twix too. So so good. Tart and tangy. Word to the wise though. Budget your time because the frozen yogurt with mix ins take some time to make and some of the employees do a better job of mixing than others. When done well, there's a little bit of everything in one bite. The portions are generous too. A mini is huge but honestly, I can still eat it all in one sitting. You can get the yogurts to go and it costs 50 cents for the plastic container and lid but it's worth it to not have it drip all over the car. There's not a lot of space to stand and sometimes the line is out the door, particularly in the summer. The employees know my order by heart now which is nothing short of dangerous.

My mom and I have been going to Sweet Retreat ever since I was a little girl and it has honestly been a favorite up until tonight. I entered the parlor around 7:15 and it was on the busier side. The girls were obviously busy so I waited for my turn and when that time came, I was addressed with an attitude and I was taken a back. I work in customer service so I get being overwhelmed but none of the customers were being rude or rushing them so I was confused to why the girls were being so disrespectful. Then, I had asked for one yogurt with nuts and one without because my mom can't have any and when we got home both ice creams had nuts. I thank god that we saw them before she ate them because that would not have been good. Also, when I got the cups, they had ice cream all over them, along with other toppings from other orders. I'm not one to complain on yelp, however the mix of bad service and nuts in the yogurt was, I think a good reason to leave a review. Ultimately, I just want people to know that if you do have an allergy, be aware.

I have been coming to Sweet Retreat for years. My sister would come down from Stockton just for Angelo's Pizza and the Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream from Sweet Retreat. My son went to Sweet Retreat at 6 weeks old (he didn't get to try it, but was there) right before the fire at Cahalan Square. The quality of the Ice Cream since Marianne's isn't as good as when it was Treat, but not the fault of Sweet Retreat. Generous portions and reasonable prices.

Went here for the first time since I'm exploring around the area and it was a hot day. I decided to give this place a try since I'm around this area. I would definitely come back here for more! The service was quick and the staff over there were very nice. The store is a little cramped and tight but it's manageable, it also has nice ac blowing through the shop at all times and is very relaxing especially on a hot day! I ordered a mini banana split and oh boy! I didn't expect it to be so much! I really enjoyed trying a banana split for the first time here i would go again just for another! Overall 10/10!

My first time here! The workers there were super friendly and welcoming. My friend and I tried 2-3 flavors and she had no problem with us tasting a few different flavors. I went with the marble butter scotch and it was perfect! I didn't think it was too sweet. My friend got the Oreo mint flavor and she enjoyed it as well! Will definitely be back:)

We love Sweet Retreat! We've been going since before the moved into this location. They really don't skimp on portion sizes here. The mini frozen yogurt size is HUGE. the yogurt is very tart, but that's why we like it. They have a decent amount of flavors you can mix into it. They do also have a wide selection of ice cream, but we always find ourselves going for the yogurt. The only thing leaving me from leaving a full 5 stars is the price. It cost us almost $18 for two mini size yogurts. You do get a lot for what you're paying, but it does make it difficult to want to come here often for the price. Overall, this is one of our favorite local places, so we'll still definitely be back! It's worth trying if you're in the area.

Came here on a hot weekend day. this ice cream shop is a community staple. There was a handful of people going in and out, although there is no indoor seating at the moment, and there is a bench right outside where you can sit. We got a coffee and mint chocolate chip. Both were singles and in bowls, but they are super generous with their scoops! They were creamy and my mint chocolate chip had a good chip ratio. I liked the selection of flavors, and there are also tubs of ice cream that you can bring home in the refrigerator near the cashier. It's also cool that they offer yogurt as well. It's a bit pricey, but I really do love classic tart yogurt, so I might try that next time. I wish they would offer water too, but they don't.

Parking is okay. Depending on the time of day you go, parking is a hit or miss. They have a great selection of ice cream and yogurt. You can customize your yogurt as well. Love coming here after having a savory meal. Nothing like a sweet treat after dinner!

I have been craving a banana split for 2 weeks already, today I finally made the move. I went in and was greeted and helped by an Indian girl, she was nice and helpful, even accommodated my request to have it in a paper bowl instead of the banana boat. I got a regular split which has SIX scoops. It was huge. I only ate half and froze the rest for tomorrow. I was able to get my fix :)

If I could rate this place no stars, I would. I've been coming to this place for years, as I live just a short walk away. I've brought friends, family members... and guess what? None of them will be supporting this business any longer. My fiance and I walked into the store at 8:15 pm today because the store still had an "open sign", we could see there were people inside the store and the door was still open. As soon as I walked in, a very polite and friendly employee said she would help me as soon as she was done with her current customers... however, another employee (I believe she's related to the owners...) comes from somewhere in the back and very rudely says to the other employee that she cannot help us because they've been closed since 8:00. I was taken back by her aggressive and loud tone, and froze a bit - the other employee said it wasn't a big deal, that she was almost done and could help us out. But this 2nd employee insisted that they would not be able to serve us because they've been closed and she's had "a long day". I'm not one to ever post negative experiences at establishments because I don't want to affect their business over one bad experience - but this employee's level of rudeness, brashness and aggressiveness towards us is something I'm fortunate to have never experienced prior to today. I highly encourage the owners to instill better customer service or they'll keep losing faithful customers like myself - and if this was someone they're related to, even worst... because they're affecting their own pocket.

Dessert time! Walked in to the shop and we were the only ones at the venue, so we were able to take our time and check out the different flavors. I was stoked to try their strawberry cheesecake, but they were out for the night :( I decided with my go to flavor of rocky road! I was pleasantly surprised that $5 can get me a large amount of ice cream!! What a great deal! The flavors of the rocky road were semi-sweet with some saltiness to it. Surprised as store bought ice cream is straight sweet, but I enjoyed the combination of sweet and salty! Would come here again to try that elusive strawberry cheesecake ice cream!

i went in last night (4/21) around 7:00ish and it was pretty busy. ( like always) But the girls working had it covered :) Sweet retreat is the only place i have ever been to that makes your yogurt in front of you, they mix in the vanilla yogurt with fruits or candy and it becomes that flavor! I ordered two large yogurts (one was rasberry& oreo the other banana) which came up to $28.25. We love coming here ! Always a good time at sweet retreat !!!

Update: owner had reached out stating that he was going to refund me the overcharge. It has been 20 days and no refund was applied. The level of dishonesty here is ridiculous I'm honestly so disappointed with my recent experience. I purchased 1 mini scoop and 1 mini yogurt with 1 topping. Total came out to 14.00 even. I tipped 2 dollars to the workers because they were friendly. I checked my bank account and noticed I was charged $21 dollars. It's the principle, I understand it's just $5 overcharge but the level of dishonesty and stealing is something I cannot support. If you came here recently I would advise you check your bank statements and see if you were also overcharged.

Ever since we moved into the neighborhood I have loved going to Sweet Retreat. However I am sad to say that they've lost me as a customer tonight. I checked yelp and google maps for the closing time and both said 9pm. So I went over and got there at 7:59pm. I walked into the store and stood in line, only to be told that they wouldn't serve me because they were closed and the person in front of me was the last person they were serving. The lack of customer service to not serve one more patron, when the sign on the door still said Open, is mind blowing to me. The fact that they couldn't scoop one more sundae is ridiculous and has left a very poor taste in my mouth. I used to recommend this location to everyone we know and take my family there quite often. However now it looks like I will be taking my business elsewhere.

I love the burgundy cherry ice cream here - big chunks of cherries, it's the best Strawberries and cream and marble raspberry are also very good

My family and I love Sweet Retreat. They really do have the best ice cream in the South Bay. We've tried everyone and Sweet Retreat is bar none the top best. I love their version of rocky road and chocolate fudge. Must try!

Would not recommend!! Unnecessarily rude with a terrible attitude definitely something they need to work on

This place used to be one the neighborhood's favorite yogurt place. They used to have the friendliest employees with very pleasing and good manners. Today, March 14th, around 6pm, my family encountered such a rude girl who needs customer service training. So sad, a lot of kids buy ice cream here and they see how unhappy servers treat their customers. Disappointing! Missing the old "Sweet Retreat" with awesome servers.

I didn't take any photos but the chocolate milkshake I had was decadent, rich, and creamy. The 2nd milkshake I had was the chocolate fantasy milkshake.. I loved how sweet it was! The pint of ice cream I bought a weeks ago (cookies and cream) was soft, silky, sweet, and creamy. The ice cream was not hardened as you'd expect if you purchased it at the grocery store. Each time I pulled out the pint to scoop into my waffle bowl, it was effortless. Support your local business! Great service and price is very reasonable!

Very rude workers , slamming the glass , slamming peoples orders down not welcoming or friendly at all be aware when entering .

Didn't get the chance to review this place a few days ago but here it is. I've wanted to try Sweet Retreat for the longest time and since we were craving for some dessert, we had to stop by here! (as well as Jersey Mike's and their subs are gr8). It's been getting pretty warm recently and a good amount of people were also lining up already when we arrived. Orders are taken at the door with plexiglass for barrier. Menu is posted onto the door but it is a bit far away, if it's your first time you can also look online for the menu flavors. Wait wasn't too long for our orders, I'd say roughly 10 minutes which isn't bad at all. What we ordered: Strawberry frozen yogurt (small): 4/5, Since it's a froyo, it was pretty tart, however I still prefer the original/lychee tart from Yogurtland. Flavor is still good, there are frozen strawberry bits at the top but more creamy towards the bottom. I'm surprised how much they gave for a size small, I would go with a mini if I came back next time. Oreo frozen yogurt (small): Honestly you cannot go wrong with oreo, it was creamy and good. Not too sweet and doesn't make you feel bad! Cookie dough ice cream (single but 2 scoops): Cookie dough has always been one of my favorite ice cream flavors. For 2 scoops, I'd say it was a pretty good amount. It was a lot but I wish there were more cookie dough bits hence the name. However it's still yummy.

Small hidden gem across from Oakridge. Was greeted immediately by friendly staff. Now onto the real question: ICE CREAM IS AMAZING!! you can tell it's specially produced Vs. Mass produced. I go the almond mocha fudge and coffee ....delicious! I got two scoops (total) and they were very generous. My husband got cookie dough and had chunks of chocolate ( dark) and cookie dough throughout

Worst. Service. Ever. Only 2 people in front of me & it took them 25 min to complete my order of 1 scoop of ice cream. There was another girl back there doing nothing while another took 30 min to make one shake. Never coming back. Terrible service.

So the hubby and I have come here quite a few times and I have been wanting to rate this place on the lower side. They are always out of the flavors I want to try which is unfortunate. However, on my recent trip to Sweet Retreat, they actually had all of the flavors I have been wanting to try. I stuck with the Brownie a la Mode which is a vanilla based ice cream with brownie throughout and fudge. YUM! Even hubby was jealous of my pick. Tip: The mini size ($5) is quite large; it's around 2 scoops of ice cream. (My dad, who loves ice cream, wanted to get the small until he saw the customer before us get his small scoop; it was around 3-4 regular scoops of ice cream. We all stuck to the mini size which was MORE than enough.) Since we are heading into the warmer weather, I do hope they keep their freezers fully stocked because I will be back for more.

I came here after a hot visit to the very nice Lincoln Glen Park, and we'll, it's ice cream. Quality-wise I would place this around Baskin-Robbins, with a significantly more bland decor. The ice cream also seemed to melt faster than I would have expected, even for a warm day. I tried the chocolate fancy and the banana nut flavors. The chocolate fantasy wasn't my favorite, it was too sweet and the chunks of chocolate are huge. You know what happens to large chunks of chocolate in ice cream? They freeze into rocks. Rocks that aren't pleasant to eat. The banana nut was pretty good, but again just a bit too sweet. Just like 10% less sugar would have been preferable. I also wasn't particularly impressed that they got my order wrong. I asked for a mini scoop in a waffle cone, and a double in a cup. Instead they gave me 2 doubles, which was way more than intended. At $8 each this wasn't what I'd call a bargain. Despite taking credit cards and having a big lot, I don't think I'd be back unless I really wanted ice cream and this was the closest option. It's not much of an upgrade over BR or what you'd find at Whole Foods.

This is the OG "Bro you know that a double is 4 scoops right" location. Huge servings. They are likely to over-stack your cone and have to put it upside down in a cup for you, which you might be miffed at until you realize that you're trying to chomp down at least 2 pounds of ice cream for $10. If you think you're tough, make sure you have room in the freezer for leftovers. Personally I enjoy the brownie a la mode, simply because the rocky road and tin roof sundae have peanuts.

How far this great ice cream place went downhill. Kids serving ice cream with absolutely no customer service.

Sad to see that this place is closed. It was our favorite place for ice cream. They had real ice cream and not soft serve. It seems rare to find anymore.

Went in tonight and the service was great. The ice-cream was unbelievably good!! I had the mint Oreo ice-cream and it was the perfect flavor and consistency. My husband loved the frozen yogurt and that he could choose which fruit he wanted crushed into the yogurt. Such good quality all around. Even my waffle cone was fresh and not stale.

My family (myself, wife and two girls ages 7 & 9) went to Sweet Retreat for the first time. The line was to the door but it moved quickly. They had a huge variety of flavors. We ended up getting Oreo Cookie and Mango. We went with the one scoop size (mini) and that was a huge portion of ice cream. The ice cream was great and the staff there was very nice. We will definitely be back.

Sweet Retreat......so many years of visiting them, but this last visit on Friday evening was a disappointment. Same amazing flavors but the ice cream was sooo soft and mushy. All the ice cream looked soft. I won't be going back any time soon.

My kids really enjoyed the Oreo mint chocolate crunch. It tasted like mint chocolate chip but with some Oreo pieces. They also liked the cookie dough, which had little bits of dough balls. We will be back to try more flavors!

The good: I tried a mini frozen yogurt with banana and almond joy flavoring. You can choose one flavor but you can also mix as many flavors as you want into one yogurt (for an extra cost). The mini is huge and the small is ginormous. I also tried the burgundy cherry and coconut pineapple ice cream flavors. These portions weren't as large as the froyos. The bad: There was no indoor nor outdoor seating. There was only one bench outside. I came on a very hot day so the ice cream melted too fast while outdoors and I was looking forward to sitting inside with the ice cream. You had to order at the front door behind a table that blocked the door. Two of the flavors my niece wanted were sold out (strawberry cheesecake ice cream and blueberry yogurt). My almond joy with banana froyo was good but had a sour base so it would have tasted better with a fruit flavor. I thought the burgundy cherry and coconut almond were just okay too. I would have liked for a creamier/smoother texture and a richer/more natural flavor. The interesting: I had my very first date as a 16 year old at the Sweet Retreat in their Morgan Hill location. They sell gift certificates.

Oh no...this place is SOO good and that's not good for my waistline. I got a sundae with marble butterscotch and mocha almond fudge and it was crazy good. Generous portions and sweet girls at the counter. I will be back many times...sadly!

Great little ice cream shop. Stopped in after dinner nearby. Lots of flavors to choose from. They give you big portions as well.

This store is so filthy, they have many health and safety violations. Yogurt machines look very run down, cones are stale and old. Try Sweet Rendezvous down the road! Much better management, much friendlier, and not filthy!

I have sweet tooth & not worth it for waiting more than 25 mins for my yogurt & ice cream. Also lady Sunday around early afternoon I had a young man help me, no explanation to charge single ingredients add on yogurt since my 1st time try yogurt there. He is rude call out name the others customer but not me, to go cup charred.$.50 cents. I don't mind pay more than $20 for melting ice cream & yogurt but no apologies & just make excuse forgot call me.

During covid, this place went from the best to worst place to eat icecream at. I had a comically bad experience at the time; they charged my party for their ice creams, went to make the items, didn't tell us everything we ordered they were out of, and just gave us random things to eat. I got a yogurt with PB cups in it, and it was vile.... my god. It just tasted like sour peanuts. Now-a-days, they're doing well again. Ice cream's been super good the last 2 times me and my wife have gone by.